A Fresh Christmas
by GeekyDollie
Summary: Danny and Stacie share Christmas memories, and Danny wants to give Stacie something special.


**Title: A Fresh Christmas  
Chapter:** 1/1  
**Fandom:** Hustle

**Summary:** Danny and Stacie share Christmas memories, and Danny wants to give Stacie something special.

**Spoilers:** None.  
**Rating:** G  
**Disclaimer:** Hustle and the characters belong to BBC and Kudos Film & Television.

**Author's Notes: **I'm a Canadian writing for British characters - I hope I got it right! For my sister. Inspired by the hotel "décor" of S2.

* * *

"One more, Eddie" Danny waved to the bartender. 

"No," Eddie eyed them suspiciously, "not until you start paying for your drinks."

"Just put it on our tab."

"No way."

"Come on, Eddie," Stacie looked up at him sweetly. "Where is your Christmas spirit?"

"It doesn't extend to the bar."

"Look, we're good for it," Danny reached into his back pocket and procured a credit card. Eddie took the card hesitantly and inspected it. It looked real enough. "Okay, but no funny business."

"Now, would we ever do that to you?" Stacie called after him.

Eddie mumbled as he went over to pour the drinks, brought them back to the table, and promptly left again shaking his head.

"Thanks, mate." Danny passed a glass to Stacie.

"So, Albie's going away for Christmas. South of France." Stacie sighed. "He was saying something about a card game."

"Are you going to spend Christmas with him like last year, then?"

"I don't think so. The south of France is a bit far for me." She smeared the condensation of her glass on the tabletop absentmindedly.

"Oh."

"And you, then? What are you up to?" she asked cheerfully.

"Oh, I'll go to my nan's. She likes to do the whole family Christmas dinner thing."

"That's nice."

"Yeah. Some of my best childhood memories – me and my nan."

"Danny!" Stacie grinned. "That's sweet."

"She would always insist on having the whole family over." Danny shifted in his seat excitedly as he talked about his childhood. "And my uncle. My uncle would always show up late, but with these elaborate gifts that we never knew how he could afford. Never questioned it, did we, though."

"Sounds lovely."

"But my favorite part… and don't laugh…" Danny's expression became serious as he looked up at Stacie, "was baking with my nan."

"You! Baking! I never thought you the baking sort."

"Don't laugh!" Danny chided with mock annoyance, "She is the only one who knows how to make my favorite Christmas pudding, and she always had good stories to tell."

"You and your nan are close, then?"

"She pretty much looked after me when I was little."

"That's nice." She smiled slightly, and then fell quiet.

"And you? Any Christmas memories?" Danny tried to start up the conversation again. Stacie looked up at him silently for a moment.

"Nah." She shook her head and continued to smear beads of water on the table with her fingertips. "It was just mostly me and my mum. We'd usually spend a quiet evening watching telly."

"Still, it's spending time with your family." Danny could tell there was something melancholy about her response.

"Yeah, I suppose if you were to call that spending Christmas with family. I haven't seen my father since I was little. I can't even remember what Christmas was like with him." She shook her head of the memories and took a long swig of her drink.

"So, it's just you and your mum, then?"

"Yeah," Stacie nodded and quickly added, "but no, it wasn't horrible or anything of the sort. It was nice – just mum and I. Mum always made sure I had everything. She sent me to the best schools, and gave me money for nice clothes. It wasn't until I was older that I realized that she didn't want people to catch on we were just getting by."

"So…" Danny was surprised to hear her reveal so much of herself. Stacie was usually so private, "then, are you going to your mum's for Christmas this year?"

"No. We haven't spoken in years."

"But you just said…"

"Everything changed when I met Jake." Stacie fell quiet for a moment before continuing quietly. "He showed me this whole other life. One where money came easy and a lifestyle more exciting than working for the rest of my life in an office."

"I can't see you an office girl."

"But it doesn't matter now. Mum said I was throwing my life away by going with Jake, and we haven't spoken since." She turned the glass in her hand watching the liquor swill around the bottom.

"Stace…" Danny ducked his head to catch her eyes. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything." Stacie replied bitterly.

They both nursed their drinks in silence until Danny found it too uncomfortable to leave their conversation that way.

"I saw something in a store window the other day. I wanted to get it for you for Christmas" he started. At least that got Stacie to look up.

"You know you can't."

"I can't get it out of my mind." Danny winked mischievously.

"Danny, you know the rules," she leaned forward seriously, "we can't have anything we can't take with us if we have to run."

"Yeah." He acknowledged her point.

"Besides, I have you lot." Stacie smiled and squeezed his hand. "You, Albie, Ash, Mickey… can't ask for better friends at Christmas."

oOoOo

Danny and Stacie laughed merrily as they approached the hotel door leading to their current residence. Stacie stopped short of the door and turned Danny by the shoulders to face her.

"Thanks for inviting me to go with you to your nan's" her smile was genuine. "It meant a lot to me."

"I aim to please." Danny bowed comically, which set them both off again with laughter.

Stacie's laugh turned into an uncertain expression when she felt him reach down for her hand. He was grinning, so she smiled back in reflection.

"I have a surprise." Danny's eyes glittered.

"Danny…"

"Just wait till you see it before you say anything."

Stacie sighed, and nodded in resignation. After all, it would be a shame to spoil the evening by arguing about something trivial.

"Close your eyes."

Danny opened the door and led her inside by the hand. His fingers caught on the cheesy plastic Christmas cracker ring that he had presented her earlier in the evening, which at the time got him a kiss with a pair of plastic lips Stacie held up between her fingers.

Stacie shuffled her feet as Danny directed her from room to room. Finally, he stopped in what she assumed would be the living room.

"Oh my God, Danny."

"I didn't say to open your eyes!"

"I haven't," Stacie protested. "It's the smell!"

"Okay, open your eyes." He watched her eyes squint open to the light and the expression on her face brighten in surprise.

"Oh… my… God…" Stacie moved forward into the room and took in the sight.

From the ceiling hung hundreds of little green tree-shaped air fresheners from their own string. The light in the room filtered in between the slowly spinning trees as they turned with her movement between them. It was like being in a winter wonderland (albeit one that smelled of artificial pine). A surreal kind of forest.

"Merry Christmas, Stace." he approached with a big grin on his face. She turned slowly to him.

"Danny. I won't even ask where you got all of those." She shook her head slowly in amazement and had a look of wonder about her. It wasn't until she faced him fully that he saw the tears in her eyes.

"Ash will kill me, but he's out tonight visiting June so he'll be none the wiser by tomorrow."

"It's beautiful. No one's ever done anything like this for me." Then she chuckled at the situation, "not that I'd ever expected anyone to hang a hundred air fresheners on the ceiling for me."

Danny reached for her and squeezed her hand happily, knowing his surprise got the response he wanted.

"Now I feel bad I don't have anything for you."

"Nah, Stace, you were the one who said we couldn't."

She looked thoughtful for a moment and took both his hands. She looked into his eyes deeply.

"There is one thing." Her eyes glistened as she captured his attention. Her fingers moved up to brush against his hair, and she moved forward.

Then, Stacie took the last step, and their lips met. For the first time, it wasn't initiated by him, nor was it some façade or diversion. It was just her – simple, nothing to hide behind. No expectations.

Just a kiss.

"Merry Christmas, Danny."


End file.
